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On Monday, US-Bangla Airlines flight 211 crashed and caught fire upon landing at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. 49 of the 71 people aboard were killed, though by Tuesday the death toll had risen to 51 as two more passengers died in hospital.

The plane, a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 turboprop, was arriving at 2:18 pm local time (0833 UTC) from the Bangladesh capital, Dhaka. A crew of four and 67 passengers were aboard. It crashed upon landing, coming to rest in a football field beside the runway where it caught fire.

In a video published by the Nepali newspaper Kantipur, a witness, Sushil Chaudhary, described the aircraft “shaking” as it came in to land and almost hitting another plane. Then, he said, it “tilted and hit its wings and engine and crashed.” Another witness spoke of seeing people escaping through windows as the plane burned.

Basanta Bohora, a surviving passenger, said: “All of a sudden the plane shook violently and there was a loud bang.” Another, Sharin Ahmed, spoke of “a huge fire outside” and smoke “gushing” into the cabin, followed by an explosion. Keshav Pandey recalled being trapped by his hand and leg. He did not remember how he escaped from the fire, suspecting he fell out when the emergency door was opened from the outside.

The aircraft was 17 years old. The passengers were mostly from Nepal and Bangladesh, with one Chinese citizen and one from the Maldives. According to Nepal’s Home Ministry, the dead include 28 Bangladeshis, 22 Nepalis and the Chinese passenger. The captain and co-pilot were among them.

Communication between the pilot and airport Air Traffic Control, published by the Nepali Times and also at LiveATC.net, suggests confusion in the minutes leading up to the crash as to which end of the runway the plane should approach from. The pilot was first cleared to land at the northern end (called Runway 20) but later referred to the southern end (Runway 02), to which the air traffic controller then agreed. In the final moments of the recording, the controller shouts “I say again, turn!” The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal stated that publishing such transcripts is illegal.

Flying in Nepal can be problematic because the country is mountainous and because local weather can change rapidly, including a high risk of wind shear. According to a spokesman for the airline, Kamrul Islam, both pilots, Abid Sultan and Prithula Rashid, were experienced and had received required training for flying to Kathmandu. At the time of the crash, there was a variable crosswind and thunderstorms in the area.

There have been a number of air disasters at the Kathmandu airport. Monday’s crash is the deadliest since 1992, when all 167 on board died in the crash of Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268.

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The British Food Standards Agency (FSA) has announced a recall of foods containing banned dyes which increase the risk of cancer. The food products were sold at the Tesco, Waitrose, and Somerfield supermarkets.

A Bristol company called “Barts Spices” found the illegal Para Red substance in their Barts Ground Paprika, which was sold in 48g and 46g jars with a “Co-op” label. The batch codes on the affected products are 5032 and 5089 (expiration Dec 2007), and 5075 (expiration February 2007).

Tesco also found that their 130g package of BBQ rice cakes (expiration November and December 2005) contained both Para Red and Sudan I.

“It would be very prudent to assume that it could be a genotoxic carcinogen,” FSA scientific advisers told reporters.

“As a company committed to supplying only the very finest quality food ingredients, we took the immediate decision to withdraw our ground paprika spice from all outlets selling the product and advertised a product recall in the national press,” a Barts Spices spokesman said in a statement.

Sudan I is only authorized for industrial use to colorize petroleum products, such as shoe polish. Para Red and Sudan I are banned under the British Colours in Food Regulations of 1995.

Britain last went through a major food recall in February, when Worcester Sauce was found to contain chili powder dyed with Sudan 1.

Many media outlets traditionally deliberately spread hoaxes on April Fools’ Day, including notable quality sources such as National Geographic and Science.

The popular British tabloidThe Sun wrote that French President Nicolas Sarkozy is to undergo stretch surgery to make him taller than his wife, Italian artist and model Carla Bruni. The report claimed the 5 foot 5 inch leader would be made 5 inches taller in one year using a method by Israeli professor Ura Schmuck. The Sun noted that during his visit to Britain last week, Sarkozy had high-heel shoes while his wife wore a pair of flat pumps.

The Guardian on the other hand ran an article that suggested that Carla would head an initiative by Prime Minister Gordon Brown to bring more glamour, good taste and sophistication to the U.K. general population. This would involve collaboration with Marks & Spencer for high-street fashion and Jamie Oliver for meals and wine.

BBC News had real-looking footage of flying penguins fronted by documentary host Terry Jones, which were actually an advertisement for its new iPlayer.

A baggage tractor is a vital part of the airport ground support equipment used to ferry passenger luggage to and from the aircraft and the main terminal building. Also known as tow tractors, these versatile vehicles are also used to re-position the aircraft. They come in a wide assortment of brands and models including gas, diesel, propane, and standard or automatic transmissions. With so many different types available, the question of which is the best option arises. Here are some tips which may be helpful in narrowing the choice.

Consider What the Tractor Will Be Used For

Baggage tractors are good solutions for multiple different aspects of airport ground support. Before making a purchase, it is useful to determine how the vehicle will be used and the maximum weight loads which will be pulled or transported, as this will help in selecting the most ideal size and capacity.

Typical Uses for Baggage Tractors

The most common use for this type of vehicle is to transport passenger baggage from the airport terminal building to the aircraft, and then to transport the luggage from the craft to the terminal building upon arrival. They are also used with a tow bar to push or pull aircrafts for re-positioning. Additional uses include carrying water servicing carts, and power units. They come in handy for the multiple pulling, pushing and carrying tasks which present themselves in daily airport operations.

Choosing the Right Specifications

Baggage tractor work capacity is rated by their DBP, which is the draw bar pull. A tractor with a DBP of 4,000 is capable of towing between 40,000 and 50,000 pounds of weight. This is how the rating of DBP relates to the amount of weight it can safely handle. Prior to purchase, lease or rental, consider the maximum weight load which the tractor will be used for.

What to Look For in Airport Ground Equipment Distributors

When the uses and capacity requirements have been established, shopping becomes a bit easier. Although there are new units available, there are many companies who recondition used baggage tractors to nearly new condition, and the cost savings is substantial in most cases. Look for a reputable company which offers a generous warranty on all of the vehicles they let leave their lot. A company which has good customer ratings or reviews and is willing to stand behind the goods they sell, is most likely to provide you with the best value for your money. In addition, the better companies will be willing to answer all of the questions you have, they’ll ask about your requirements and make recommendations regarding the most appropriate model and type for the job. For more information regarding the lease, rental, or purchase of a baggage tractor, as well as other airport ground support equipment, get in touch with the experts found at Mercury GSE.

Australian researchers say they have scientifically proven that stress causes sickness. The Garvan Institute in Sydney has discovered that a hormone, known as neuropeptide Y, (NPY) is released into the body during times of stress. Their findings show the hormone can stop the immune system from functioning properly.

“Neuropeptide Y is one of those hormones that gets unregulated or released from neurones when stressful situations occur…it’s known for example that it regulates blood pressure and heart rates so your heart rate goes up but it hasn’t been known that it actually can affect immune cells as well,” said Professor Herbert Herzog, one of the researchers.

Herzog feels it is good to finally have proof of something people have suspected for so long.

“Now we have proven without doubt that there is a direct link and that stress can weaken the immune system and that makes you more vulnerable when you for example have a cold or flu and even in the more serious situations such as cancer can be enhanced in these situations,” said Herzog.

The Garvan Institute study centres on two key events that enable the human body to recognise foreign substances and control invaders. When our body encounters a pathogen (bacteria and viruses), the immune cells retain and interrogate suspects. Their activation is made possible by NPY. These cells then return to the lymph nodes, which are found all over the body, with information about the foreign invaders. The lymph nodes are where decisions about defence are made.

“Most of us expect to come down with a cold or other illness when we are under pressure, but until now we have mostly had circumstantial evidence for a link between the brain and the immune system,” said lead Garvan researcher, associate Professor Fabienne Mackay. “During periods of stress, nerves release a lot of NPY and it gets into the bloodstream, where it directly impacts on the cells in the immune system that look out for and destroy pathogens (bacteria and viruses) in the body.”

In the case of bacteria and viruses, TH1 cells are part of the attack team that is sent out on the ‘search and destroy’ mission. But when their job is done they need to be turned ‘off’ and the immune system reset. The same hormone, NPY, that activates the sentry cells now prompts the TH1 cells to slow down and die.

“Under normal conditions, circulating immune cells produce small amounts of NPY, which enables the immune cells on sentry duty and the TH1 immune cells to operate – it’s a yin and yang kind of situation. But too much NPY means that the TH1 attack is prevented despite the foreign invaders being identified – and this is what happens during stress,” added McKay.

The impact of stress on the body has been observed in athletes. Ph. D researcher at the University of Queensland, Luke Spence, together with the Australian Institute of Sport, studied elite and recreational athletes over five months.

They found elite athletes were more susceptible to respiratory diseases under stress.

“A lot of elite athletes put themselves through vast amounts of physical stress in their training, but also their emotional, psychological stress of feeling the pressure of Australia on their shoulders, wanting to compete and wanting to do their best,” said Spence.

It’s not just athletes who are prone to stress. Pressures at work and at home may cause emotional and mental stress that can be equally damaging. Almost a third of all work absenteeism in Australia is due to illness, costing employers over $10 billion a year.

“I think it has a huge impact for the work force and also for employers – if their employees are constantly stressed, constantly under pressure, they are more likely to get sick,” Spence said.

Further research could lead to the development of new drugs which may inhibit the action of the neuropeptide Y hormone.

Herzog warns people to minimise stress before it becomes a problem.

“Relaxation methods like yoga will help you to prevent that but there will still be people out there that are not responding to that and treatment by interfering with the system will be important,” he said. “There’s obviously some time until such a treatment will be available but this is something we will definitely work towards.”

The Garvan research will be published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, Volume 202, No. 11.

The MTR Corporation, the only railway company in Hong Kong since the rail merge in 2007, has loosened their rules. The corporation proposed the new modifications, then transferred the proposal to the Legislative Council, and will be effective from September 2010.

The new set of rules allow ‘non-disruptive’ use of profanity in private conversations, and the punishment for inflammatory use of expletives is lowered from a fine of HK$5000 to HK$2000. The new set of rules have also excluded the regulation against wandering in MTR premises, as well as the rule against attempting to eat or drink.

Democratic Party member James To has expressed his concerns about a new rule that outlaws the display of promotional material. According to To, the wearing of Tiananmen Square Incident-related T-shirts or acting the Goddess of Democracy may breach the new MTR rules.

He also deems two other regulations, namely the prohibition of distracting MTR staff members and photography and video-recording in the train carriages, ‘unreasonable’.

Unionist Li Fung-ying is also confused whether chewing gum was considered food. MTR head of operations Choi Tak-tsan replied that only what is regarded as food counts. They had not yet discussed on this matter, said Choi, and will soon. Li is also concerned about the rule which prohibits the entering of the first-class carriage without buying a ticket. Her main concern is whether the passenger will be allowed to buy the ticket rather than being fined HK$500.

Wong Kwok-hing believes that the MTR corporation should call upon more effort to advertise a more ‘civilised’ and ‘polite’ way of taking the train. Jeffrey Lam thinks that the new rules do not do enough to restrict shouting. MTR replied that anyone who shouts in the train can be advised to leave the train or even prosecuted.

Wikinews interviews painter Pricasso on his art and freedom of expression

This article mentions the Wikimedia Foundation, one of its projects, or people related to it. Wikinews is a project of the Wikimedia Foundation.

Monday, October 12, 2015

Wikinews interviewed Australian painter Pricasso on his unique artwork created using his penis, and how his art relates to freedom of expression and issues of censorship. He is to be featured at the upcoming adult entertainment event Sexpo Australia in Melbourne this November 5 to November 8.

High School Cross Country Summer Training Plan by Penney ReadeWhether you’ve just started working out or if you’re a seasoned athlete, the right knowledge can always help. You’ll get much better results when you follow the advice in this article.Plant a garden at your yard. Many people don’t realize that beginning a garden requires a lot of hard work. You will have to squat a lot, weed, and lots of squatting. Gardening is just one of the best hobbies to help get you can do at home to keep in shape.Counting your calories helps you stay fit. Knowing the amount of calories you consume a day is essential to finding out if you’ll lose weight or gain weight. If you only consume enough calories to satisfy your basic needs, then burn calories through exercise, while losing some through working out, which will help you lose weight quickly.The benefits of fitness reach far beyond the physical body. Regular exercise aslo has the added benefit of an increase in your sense of well-being and it promotes good emotional benefits. The endorphins released during a workout can lead to a feeling of well as some depression medications. Working out also helps your self-image and your confidence. You can become happier by just working out as a way to being happy.A strong core is vital for your body. A strong core comes in handy with any exercises you choose to perform.One proven method for building your core strength is by doing sit-ups. Doing sit ups can also makes you more flexible. This will make your ab muscles gain additional strength and longer.Keep a journal of everything that you do each day. You should also record the weather conditions. This will help you reflect on anything that affected your day. If you were unable to exercise for a day or two, list the reason why that happened.Your core supports your fitness levels.Having a strong and stable core makes exercising other muscles of your body easier. One way to increase your core is doing sit-ups. Sit-ups also known to augment range of motion. This will make your ab muscles to work harder for longer periods of time.You can also search for routines or videos.Do not take a break on weekends to workout. It’s easy to think of weekends as “free time” to rest and in many cases they are. You should be thinking about staying fit and losing weight.There are more benefits to fitness then just physical strength. Regular exercise can also help you feel better emotionally. Working out produces endorphins creating a sense of euphoria. You can improve your confidence and self-image. You are technically a couple workouts shy of happiness.This practice increases the likelihood that you will follow through with your workout sessions. This is because the sessions are already paid for and not a recurring expense or bill hanging over your head. You are going to want to get what you will follow through.It is wise to exercise them no more than two or three days per week, because rest is essential to the health of this muscle group.Donkey calf raises is a wonderful way to help build up calf muscles when trying to become more fit. These are a very effective way to strengthen your calves when you’re exercising. You need a buddy willing to rest on your back and all you do is raise your calves upward.It is wise to exercise them no more than two or three days per week, because rest is essential to the health of this muscle group.Make sure that you target both your back and your front.Working just the lower back is likely to result in back pain.Working them both muscle groups at every opportunity is a good way to steer clear of back problems and allow you to continue working out when you want to.Smaller muscles get fatigued faster as opposed to larger muscles. Start with handheld dumbbells, then continue with barbells, and lastly try machines.Did you known video games can increase your fitness? The Nintendo Wii gaming system has a variety of games to get you moving around in no time!See a doctor if you experience severe pain in your muscles or pain. A daily journal is useful as a great way to keep records of any pain from working out.Donkey calf raises is a great way to aid you in building your calf muscles. These are exceptionally effective for these specific muscles. You need a buddy willing to rest on your back so that you do is raise your calves.Take your pet with you. Pets actually need good amount of exercise too. Studies show that up to 35 percent of pets are overweight, so if you exercise with your pet, too. A calming stroll is a benefit to both of you.Seek the advise of a dietitian. You can easily eliminate all the unhealthy food, but how will working out affect your diet?You can exercise weekly from two to four days a week, but more is better. You do not have to work out for that long. Fifteen or twenty minutes a day is good. You should go no longer than an hour.Take breaks during your work day if you don’t develop deep vein thrombosis. Do not stay at your desk longer than 20 minute intervals where you get up and walk around. Get your blood pumping by stretching your arms and your legs. Your fitness level will go up with this continual light exercise a few times a day.Your intake should be allocated as follows: 45 percent proteins, along with 35% carbohydrates, and just 20 percent fat. Protein is especially important ingredient: it will give you energy and help you develop your body.Stretching is important in fitness routine. Stretch for at least 10 minutes after your workouts if you want great results.You can give it your best while you are still fresh, you won’t have as much energy or want to put in as much effort.Instead of feeling content with the positive achievements you have accomplished with your fitness routine, you should always strive to improve even more. Use the tips you just read to continue working on your fitness goals.Getting fit helps prevent injury and illness, it makes you feel stronger and more confident, and makes you more attractive.But many people are not sure where to begin with a fitness program. The advice below will help you in beginning your quest to proper fitness.Many people think that in order to reach their fitness goal they must go and lift weights at a bench.There are six exercises that you need: bridges, and they are pull-ups, squats, pull ups, push-ups, handsArticle Source: eArticlesOnline.com

Google News submitted patent applications both in the United States and world-wide in September 2003 for a system of ranking search returns. The patent protection filings seek to control Google’s approach that filters headlines through a complicated algorithm, including the quality of the news organization. How much of this system is currently in use by the search engine giant is unknown.

Primitive search engines are expected to organically evaluate links based on how closely the keywords typed in the search field match an object link, and how many other links are attached to the object. Then a measure of relevance is calculated before returning a reply.

It seems some measure of the work being done at Google is a reaction to search engine optimization (SEO) campaigns which can, if done effectively, skew results to certain domains. A challenge for Google is to develop its technology to nullify efforts on the dark side of SEO and link-spamming.

What also seems to be coming out from this, according to research from the Internet Search Engine Database, is that Google does indeed have a ‘sandbox’ where domains are evaluated first by a human factor before being released into its algorithms.

In its first ever Securities and Exchange Commission filing since the company went public last year, Google indicated that it intends to spend US$500 million on technology development, more than double the $177 million it spent two years ago.

The language used in the lengthy patent application itself is difficult to understand. An excellent article titled “Google United – Google Patent Examined” found below, describes some of the nuts and bolts of Google’s techniques.

Google has today launched its foray into the world online payment processing with Google Checkout. This is considered by many to be a rival to the payment giant PayPal, owned by eBay. This service is currently only available to U.S. residents.

Google has created the service in a similar way to PayPal. There are two types of Google Checkout account, Buyer and Seller. Only a Seller account can receive payments through the service, a Buyer account can only make payments. This is tied in very closely with the Google Adwords service — adverts selling items can now display a small shopping cart icon — which indicates that the advertiser accepts Google Checkout as a method of payment.

The selling rate is also closely tied in with the Google AdWords service. Other online payment services generally charge a set percentage per transaction, whereas Google Checkout credits you with a certain amount of “free transactions” when you purchase Google AdWords (For every US $1 spent on AdWords, US $10 in sales can be processed at no charge) — or a rate of 2% plus US $0.20 if the Seller is not a Google Adwords subscriber. There are no charges associated with Buyer Accounts.

Currently, Google Checkout only accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover Credit Cards for inclusion on a buyer’s or seller’s account. They also offer a special deal for users of a Citicard credit card — US $5 (or 1000 ThankYousm Points) for signing up. Google has announced its’ intentions to “to make the service available to merchants internationally” in the near future.